Feeding the Community

Published in our February 2025 newsletter

While nutrition lessons are a big part of what EAT RIGHT PHILLY does, our Nutrition Coordinators support food pantries and distributions at sites around the city as well. Join us for a virtual tour of some of these sites and learn about what each Coordinator does to provide support.

This overview contains information that is accurate as of February 2025.

Murrell Dobbins CTE High School

2150 W Lehigh Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19132

Distribution: Open to families and community members from 11am-12pm on Wednesdays

Pantry: Open to students and families from 10am-2pm, Tuesday-Friday by appointment using an online form

The weekly food distribution at Dobbins High School takes place every Wednesday and is free for all to attend without registration. The food options are provided by Philabundance and include dry and canned goods as well as a variety of fresh produce. The school pantry, also stocked by Philabundance, is available to students and families and can be accessed by making an appointment. The pantry offers dry staples, canned goods, and occasionally has fresh produce and frozen meats. Hygiene and sanitary products are also available.

Nutrition Coordinator Kevin regularly attends distributions at Dobbins High School to distribute nutrition information, as well as recipes highlighting foods commonly included in distributions, enabling participants to gain the confidence in cooking the foods they get from the distributions. Kevin also works with the pantry to increase student engagement and empower students to cook with the food they choose from the pantry. He is also starting a bag-back program to increase student engagement. During their first trip to the pantry, students receive an EAT RIGHT PHILLY reusable grocery bag, which they can then bring back to receive cooking utensils on subsequent visits.

George Washington High School

10175 Bustleton Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19116

Pantry: Open to students, families, and community members; hours are coordinated as needed

Distribution: Open to families and community members on Mondays at 2pm

George Washington High School is home to both a food pantry and a weekly distribution, both supplied by Philabundance. Both the distribution and the pantry feature dry and canned goods; fresh food is found primarily at the distribution, but additional fresh items can also be found in the pantry’s refrigerator and freezer. Fresh ingredients may include produce, dairy, frozen meats, and frozen prepared meals.

You can find Project Coordinator Avery at both distribution and pantry. She hands out nutrition information as well as recipes and cooking items, often tailoring the latter to the foods currently available to participants. She also anticipates offering nutrition lessons for participants of a variety of ages, including Heart Smarts lessons for adults to learn how to support heart health with budget-friendly nutrition.

Tilden Middle School

6601 Elmwood Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19142

Pantry: Open for in-person shopping on Fridays from 10am-2pm to students, families, and community members who have pre-registered with an online form

Philabundance delivers food each Thursday to stock the FAWN food pantry at Tilden Middle School, including dry and canned ingredients, fresh produce, and meats. Though the selection of perishable goods varies week by week, registered participants have the option to order specific shelf-stable goods. During open shopping hours participants have the option to choose a specific number of items they would like. Baby and infant supplies are also available for those with children.

Nutrition Coordinator Hannah can regularly be found at the FAWN food pantry. She teaches nutrition lessons and uses the Heart Smarts curriculum, educating participants on budget-friendly nutrition for promoting heart health. When at the pantry, Hannah also provides nutrition information, food samples, and cooking utensils to support participants in living their healthiest lives.

South Philadelphia High School

2101 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19148

Distribution: Open to students, families, and community members from 2pm-3pm on Tuesdays

Pantry Orders: Open to students, families, and staff who have placed orders using an online form; order pickup is Mondays and Thursdays from 2:30pm-3:30pm

South Philadelphia High School hosts a large distribution on Tuesday each week. The distribution, open to students, families, and community members, includes a variety of fresh produce, shelf-stable food items, frozen foods, and condiments, as well as diapers and feminine care products donated by Sharing Excess, Philabundance, and Care. The distribution takes place at tables outside the school and includes grab and go bags for community members and families. Student participants receive their food from inside the school’s pantry instead and are able to choose specific items.

Project Coordinator Dan can be found tabling each week at the distribution. He engages community members in short Heart Smarts lessons, teaching them how to prioritize heart health through budget-friendly nutrition. Dan works with the participants to suggest and decide on recipes to cook with the items they just received at the distribution. He also provides cooking utensils to help participants cook healthy meals at home.

Samuel Gompers Elementary School

5701 Wynnefield Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131

Distribution: Open to students, families, and community members, 3pm-4:30pm every third Wednesday of the month

Pantry: open to families and community members by request

Samuel Gompers Elementary School hosts a monthly distribution on the third Wednesday afternoon of every month. Open to students, families, and community members, the distribution is supplied by Philabundance and includes a mix of fresh and canned produce, meal packs, dry goods, and sometimes protein items. Participants should bring their own bags, and do not have a limit on the amount of food they may take, as all food is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Along with the distribution, the school is home to a food pantry, also stocked by Philabundance. The pantry opens by request of families or community members. Food is delivered to the pantry on Wednesdays; participants may place orders for food by the preceding Thursday of each week.

Nutrition Coordinator Erik has recently begun attending the distribution. He provides nutrition information, and reinforcements such as reusable grocery bags or cooking utensils for participants.

Vaux High School: A Big Picture School

2300 Master St, Philadelphia, PA 19121

Distribution: Open to families and community members 12pm-1pm, Monday-Friday

Mighty Writers runs the food distribution that takes place at Vaux High School every weekday from 12pm-1 pm. The distribution is geared towards community members, but open to everyone without a signup required. Food is provided by Philabundance and includes fresh produce, canned and dry goods, as well as a rotating selection of meat, eggs, fish, non-dairy milk, and prepared food items. Participants may choose whichever items they like from the selection available.

Nutrition Coordinator Alec attends the distribution twice a month. He can be found at a table near the end of the distribution, ready to talk with participants after they have chosen food items. Alec offers Heart Smarts lessons, teaching participants how to support heart health with budget-friendly nutrition. In addition, he hands out samples of healthy recipes related to each lesson, recipe sheets, nutrition information, and cooking utensils.

Frankford High School

5000 Oxford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19124

Pantry: Open to families and community members Mondays 2pm-4pm; open to students during school hours

Frankford High School is home to a food pantry supplied by Philabundance. The pantry offers a wide variety of foods, from dry and canned goods to fresh produce and eggs. While limited in choice, the amount of food participants may take is often high due to large donations. The pantry also offers clothing and shoes.

Nutrition Coordinator Mia can be found at the pantry handing out nutrition information and cooking utensils. She also plans to offer Heart Smarts lessons, teaching participants how to support heart-health with budget-friendly nutrition.

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